Android

A VPN, or virtual private network, is one of the smartest ways to protect your online privacy and maintain your data security. We’ve tested scores of them, and these are the best VPN services we’ve reviewed.

That attitude to the safety and privacy of personal data creates a tremendous risk when it comes to online security. Public Wi-Fi networks, which are ubiquitous and convenient, are unfortunately also extremely convenient for attackers who are looking to compromise your personal information.

The best VPN service right now is ExpressVPN. It’s the best all-round option for speed, privacy and unblocking websites. A close second place is IPVanish, which is another very reliable VPN that we like a lot – particularly the way it handles P2P and torrenting.

Private Internet Access (or PIA for short) provide Apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux, along with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and even Opera, and guides for major routers and other devices, where can you not use PIA?

Pros: larger number of simultaneous connections (10), Allows P2P and BitTorrent. Decent high end speeds. Up-to-date interface. High device support including routers. high standards of privacy. Accepts Bitcoin.

Cons: Juicy amount of simultaneous connections (10) than some others. Slower than the other 2 VPNs. High ping (mixed).

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Well, get ready for it – April Fools’ 2015 has already started. Google is in on the act as usual, with a Pac-Man version of Google Maps that went live moments ago. Samsung is playing as well today, with the introduction of the Galaxy BLADE edge.

We’ll try to keep track of some of the best as we see them.

You can play Pac-Man on Google Maps by visiting Google Maps on the web and then clicking the Pac-Man icon in the bottom left corner.

Pac-Man is also on Google Maps for Android and iOS. You should be able to play in the newest version of Google Maps, but you have to search for locations that you might think Pac-Man would be. Google offers up a whole guide to Pac-Man in Google Maps here. They also provide clues on where you can find him (just go search for “Arc de Triomphe” and you’ll be able to play). Also, more info at the Google Maps blog.

Samsung Galaxy BLADE edge

As for the Samsung Galaxy BLADE edge, you are looking at a clear, glass-like phone with a foldable handle, is ergonomic and ceramic, has a diamond edge, is waterproof (unlike the S6 and S6 Edge), and even has a thermometer stylus!

Amazon Dash Button (real or?)

Amazon has introduced the “Dash Button” which are 1-click buttons to help you instantly and directly order the things you need the most…from Amazon Prime. Major news outlets think this is actual real. I still think it’s a joke. Amazon remains saying it’s a real thing!

Some links are affiliated links and therefore it helps our websites and software stay free, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It’s worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link.

The app, available for both iPhone and iPad, allows users to remotely access their computer via the Chrome Remote Desktop app available in the Chrome Web Store.

To get things started, you’ll just have to download and run through a setup for the Chrome Remote Desktop app on your Mac or PC and then open the new Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS to establish a connection:

On each of your computers, set up remote access using the Chrome Remote Desktop app from Chrome Web Store… On your iOS device, open the app and tap on any of your online computers to connect.

Google first released the app for Android devices in April of last year and before that had its Chrome Remote desktop app for remotely accessing Macs and PCs from other desktop computers.

The app is available now through the App Store for free and works for remotely accessing both PCs and Macs.

Some links are affiliated links and therefore it helps our websites and software stay free, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It’s worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link.

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We’ve already seen a US price (from $649) for the Nexus 6, so we weren’t exactly hopeful for a low cost smartphone here in the UK, and now that’s become a reality with Google posting a price on the Play store.

The 32GB Nexus 6 will set you back £499, while those of you fancying more internal storage will need to stump up £549 for the 64GB model.

While these prices aren’t nearly as attractive as previous Nexus models, it does mean the Nexus 6 is still considerably cheaper than possibly its closest rival, the iPhone 6 Plus.

Apple’s 5.5-inch monster device starts at £619 for just 16GB of internal storage, while the 64GB version is £699.

Hold your horses! Because you can’t actually buy the Nexus 6 from Google Play just yet – in fact, it’s not even available for pre-order – with the site simply saying “coming soon”.

Previous reports have pointed towards a November 18 pre-order date in the UK for the Nexus 6, while those in the US have been able to pre-order since October 23 – although Google’s now out of its initial inventory.

Some links are affiliated links and therefore it helps our websites and software stay free, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It’s worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link.

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WhatsApp will now finally tell you when your messages have been read. WhatsApp messages have always been accompanied by ticks to show sent and delivered messages, but they have also been the source of some confusion.

Now the company is experimenting with a third version: the blue double-check that represents a message has been read, listened to or viewed. The confusion around the ticks is long standing. People often believe one tick means ‘delivered‘, and two ticks means ‘read‘. However, one tick actually means ‘sent‘, and two means ‘delivered‘, not read. The double blue ticks would mean ‘read‘.

You can already see on Facebook Messenger when a message has been seen, and this is WhatsApp’s version. However, it may upset some users that don’t want to mark messages as read. You have the option of turning off the ‘last seen’ timestamp on WhatsApp, giving you some privacy.

The social pressure to reply to a message might be greater if someone knows if you have actually read a message or not, making some people uncomfortable. It remains to be seen what will happen with the blue double tick – perhaps it will be optional, or maybe tests won’t lead WhatsApp to roll out the feature.

The double blue check marks have been rolled out to WhatsApp without the need to update the app. WhatsApp has added information about them to its FAQ section, confirming that two blue ticks does mean your message has been read. In a group message, you’ll see the blue ticks when all members have read the message.

Some links are affiliated links and therefore it helps our websites and software stay free, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It’s worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link.